Process for desulfurizing ores.



. pressure to produce a blow pipe flame and mental sulfur, as well as I-LS, may be prov No Drawing.

,ture at whichthe sulfids fuse. In order to .onthe ore. By this procedure I am able to v UNITED strxuus PATENT orricn.

WILLIAM A. HALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS FORDESULFURIZING ORES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed-May 31,1913. Serial No. 770,946.

Patented Dec. 30,1913.

To all who-m it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residingv at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in' Processes for Desulfurizing Ores, of which the following is a specification. i I

The object of my. present invention is to distil the sulfur contained-in sulfid ores the so-called fixed atom, as well as the socalled feeble atom, of sulfurin the form of elemental sulfur with'the production of a minimum amount'H sf and S0 and preferably with the production of substantially no such gases.

In carrying out my process I preferably subject theore, broken intofsmall pieces or pulverized, and while being agitated, to the direct action of a reducing (or at least a non-oxidizing) flame, and steam. The temperature of theore should be between about 700 C; and 925 0.-the former being the approximate temperature at-wliich the Slll fur content of the sulfids is distilled, and the latter being the approximate ,temperamaintain a reducing flame of the desired temperature in the presence of steam, the air should be introduced with the fuel under an excess of steam should be avoided. Preferably the flame is caused to impinge directly .distil off in the form of elemental sulfur, without passing to an considerable extent through any of its com ined. forms, not only the so-called feeble atom, but also the socalled fixed atom, while the fumes from the furnace contain only a negligible amount of H 8 and SO.,--so small an amount that said gases may be discharged into the air without detriment and without noticeable odor.

If with suflicient steam present considerably lower temperatures than those above described are employed, say between 500 and 650 0., substantially all the sulfur will be converted into H 8, but the lower temperatures'described (say about 700 C.) be employed, substantial quantities of eleduced'. I prefer to regulate the tem eratures so as to avoid the aproduction 0 any substantial or detriment I amount oil-I LS,

regulated quantities of air to form S0 in combining proportions, as is Well known. Such air may be. admitted at the outlet of the furnace; or, if a furnace employing multiple burners be used, one of the flames may be made of an oxidizing character; or the air may gain access to the furnace through leakage.

So far as I know I am the first to distil and to recover directly in the form of elemental sulfur the so-called fixed atom of sulfur in sulfid ores. Indeed, by my process the sulfur contained in such ores as pyrrhot-ite which contain no feeble atom, can be distilled and recovered directly in the form of elemental sulfur.

In practising-my process I may employ a furnace of the McDougal, Herreshoif or,

Wedge types, or of any other suitable type.

hat I claim is:

1. The process of desulfurizing ore which I temperature at which said ore would fuse.

3. The process of'desulfurizing ore which consists in subjecting the ore in the presence of steamto the action of'a non-oxidizing flame at a temperature upward of the temperature at which the sulfur content of said V ore is distilled, and agitating the ore..

t. The process of distilling and recovering directly in the form of elemental sulfur the fixed atom of sulfur in' sulfid ores, which;

consist in subjecting the ore in the presence of steam to the action of a non-oxidizing flame at a temperature u ward of the. temperature at which the sul ur content ofsaid ore is distilled."

5. In the recovery of sulfur f f ores the step of heating said-ore in anonit"s;

oxidizing environment until at ,least the major part of so called fixed atom of said:

ore has distilled. 6.In the recovery of sulfur from: a pyrrho't-ite ore, the step of treating-said-ore the action of a presence of steam,

; substantially distil from said ore, in the form of elemen- Y atom of sulfur from amount of steam,

' application 'with a reducing flame, and with a small at a temperature between- 700;.and 925 (3. 1 5

7. In the production of free sulfur from sulfid ore,-=the step :of subjectin said ore to non-oxidizing ame, inthe at a temperature at which all the sulfurof the ore will tal sulfur. jj' 8. In the u process of obtainingsulfur from sulfid ore,

the step of distilling the fixed said sulfid ore. by the application to said ore of a reducing flame. 9. In the process of obtaining sulfur from sulfid ore, the step of distilling the fixed atom of sulfur from said sulfid ore by the to said ore of a reducing flame ,at-a temperature between 700 and 900 C.

subjectin 1150' the action of a re a a limited amount of 10. A process of distilling the sulfur'of those varieties of sulfid ores in which no considerable amount of sulfid having both fixed and feeble sulfur atoms exists,

' said process comprising the treatment of a those a I said process comprising the treatment of a i and 900 C.

12. A process of distilling the sulfur from pyrrhotite ore, which comprises exposing said ore to the action of steam. and of a re- }ducing flame while simultaneously agitating said ore.

13. In the production of sulfur from methe metallic sulfids ucing flame and of steam which amount is in itself insuflicient cto decompose said sulfid to any substantial extent but sufficient to prevent substantial loss of sulfur due to formation. of S0 and COS. y

14. A process of extracting sulfur from metallic sulfids, which comprises agitating v the sulfid and simultaneously subjecting the.

sameto the combined action of a direct reducing flame and of a small amount of H 0.

15. A process of extracting sulfur from metallic sulfids which comprises subjecting the sulfids to the simultaneous'action of a reducing flame and of a relatively small volume of steam while causing fresh surfaces of the sulfidsto beqexppsed throughout the operation. 7

16. In the production of free sulfur from sulfid ore, the step of subjecting a layer of said ore, to the action of a reducing flame, and of steam, While agitating said ore.

17. In the production of free sulfur from I sulfid ore, the step of, subjectingaflayer of said ore, to the action of-a reducing flame, together with asmall amount ofsteam.

18. In the production of free sulfurfrom sulfid -ore,.the step of subjecting a layer of said ore, to-the acti'onof a reducing flame,

together with sufficient steam to" preventthe formation of material amounts of SOband to decompose any COS formed. 1

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto signed my. name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.-

.Witnesses:

PERKINS,

R. .MCKAY.v

WILLIAM A. HALL: I

"flpplesbt this patentrmay be obtained for five cents each, lay-addressing the Commissioner orfIatenta, I v i Washington, D. c3- f ,v 

